{"id":291,"date":"2024-08-14T01:14:51","date_gmt":"2024-08-14T01:14:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/?page_id=291"},"modified":"2024-08-14T01:39:25","modified_gmt":"2024-08-14T01:39:25","slug":"chapter-03","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/?page_id=291","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 03"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chapter 03<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Forks.  June 4th, 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRise and shine, Bella!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUgh,\u201d Bella resisted the urge to throw a pillow at her friend\u2019s head. Her sunny disposition always were a pain in the ass and just because she was staying at their house, didn\u2019t mean that she had to be awakened so rudely. She pushed her hair out of her face as she sat up. \u201cI\u2019m awake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Alice nodded with a bright smile. \u201cI put your clothes in the bathroom, and Esm\u00e9 is making you breakfast. Hurry up, we\u2019re leaving for school in 30 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While she was grateful to the Cullens for taking care of her, she also had the feeling that she was stuck with them. Edward, her boyfriend, had explained a number of times how Bella had lost her memory after a car accident, how her rehabilitation had taken some time and that she had forgotten about it as well. But at times, she felt as if she was suffocating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They had moved to Forks for Bella\u2019s health. The fresh air, the green trees, would do her good. The warm weather in the Southern States only did her harm. On top of that, being in Washington made it easier for the Cullens to be outside, they would sparkle less. Oh yes, she was in a household filled with vampires. That was one of the things she couldn\u2019t believe when Edward told her about them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vampires weren\u2019t real, but they were. They were cold, and their bodies were solid as a rock. Impenetrable. Worst of all, they didn\u2019t sleep, which made for very awkward nights. Bella had found out that she didn\u2019t like him to watch over her while she slept; she found it creepy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Things didn\u2019t add up, but the family told her that it was because of her accident. That she was going to feel off for a while longer, but that eventually everything would fall into place. Until then, everything was going to be new. And that sucked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cullens were a very hands-on family of vampires. There was Esm\u00e9 and Carlisle, the parents. Carlisle was a doctor and mostly in charge of Bella\u2019s rehabilitation. Esm\u00e9\u2019s cooking could use some improvement. Emmett, the jock, and his wife Rosalie, a gorgeous woman with cheekbones to die for. Then Alice, who was very fashion forward and could tell the future and her husband Jasper, who could influence someone\u2019s emotions. And then there was Edward. Her Edward. He could read thoughts, but for some reason found Bella intriguing as he couldn\u2019t read hers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella didn\u2019t have to do anything around the house. At first, she thought it was because she was still recovering, but it seemed like it was the norm. Esme would prepare her food and Alice made sure that Bella was always immaculately dressed. The only thing Bella was allowed to do was to shower, get dressed and sleep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She stumbled out of her bed and made her way into the bathroom, brushed her teeth and pulled her hair into a ponytail before getting dressed in tight fitting jeans and a nice shirt. \u201cGood morning,\u201d she said as she walked into the kitchen and as on cue, Esme set down a plate of food in front of her. \u201cOh, I\u2019m not hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have to eat something, sweetheart,\u201d she smiled at her. \u201cBrain food, so you can concentrate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella looked at her breakfast. It was a full English breakfast with the baked beans in tomato sauce looking just that, like brains. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, it just\u2026 makes me feel sick to my stomach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edward sat down next to her and caressed her hair. \u201cEat something, love,\u201d he said softly. \u201cWe don\u2019t want you to take a bite out of our fellow students because you get hungry, do we?\u201d He teased her as he pushed the plate towards her. \u201cYou get cranky when you get hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy do you care? The worst thing that could happen is me passing out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edward looked at his mother and then at his father. \u201cMaybe she\u2019s not ready to go back to school just yet,\u201d he said carefully. \u201cCan\u2019t you just homeschool her? We\u2019ll go to school and—\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEdward, Bella is more than ready to go back to school,\u201d Carlisle said gently and put his arm around his wife. \u201cIf we keep her locked away from the world for much longer, she might start crawling the walls. You don\u2019t need to worry, Jasper\u2019s in her class.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not going to mind rape me,\u201d Bella said with a scowl, but started to eat her breakfast anyway the moment he entered the kitchen. \u201cFucker.\u201d She had a severe dislike to Jasper because he could switch her mood just like that. And it sucked. He could make her do things she didn\u2019t want to do, and that sucked even more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edward had explained to her that Jasper wasn\u2019t taking any pleasure out of it either, but that it was a necessity as something in her brain was damaged. Something she didn\u2019t quite understand, but without Jasper\u2019s influence, she would have had to be admitted into a hospital, and she disliked that too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She had thought it many times before, but she was in hell. Literal hell and there was no escaping it, because they would find her. If she\u2019d leave, they\u2019d track her down. Vampires were excellent trackers. Maybe it was scare tactics, but she knew about them now. She knew how their world worked, and now her life was in danger because of it. Maybe by going to school, she could sneakily figure out if she was missing, like one of those people on milk cartons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And apparently, paranoia was part of the deal too. As were hallucinations. For a while she had believed that the trees had been talking to her. As if. The Cullens were good people, and they weren\u2019t out to get her; they only wanted what was best for Edward\u2019s girlfriend, and short of turning her, this was the best that they could do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She polished off her plate and downed her cranberry juice, feeling a lot better than before. \u201cOkay, let\u2019s do this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o.O.o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She ignored the whispering of the trees as Edward drove them to school. They weren\u2019t real, it was all in her head. But she liked Forks. She could do without the cold, but the shrubbery was absolutely wonderful, until Edward drove into town. \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019m ready.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, Bella,\u201d he smiled at her as he pulled onto the parking lot. \u201cNobody knows you here, nobody knows us. Fresh start.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah but it\u2019s one thing to have to deal with a small group of people and then 100s, I don\u2019t think I\u2019m ready.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be scared, we\u2019re all here. The first sign of trouble, we\u2019re getting you home.\u201d He parked the car and kissed the top of her head. \u201cLet\u2019s become the coolest kids in school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella wondered if the accident had caused her to forget how to do school, too. Their first class was math, and she couldn\u2019t make any sense out of it. There were numbers and letters and sure, she pretended to work, to listen, but she didn\u2019t understand any of it. Her neighbor was a girl called Lauren, and she kept shooting Bella glances, almost as if she knew that Bella was dumb. Or crazy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of taking notes, because Bella didn\u2019t know what they were talking about anyway, she was drawing trees. And there were outlines of a small cabin. She hadn\u2019t known she could draw, and found it fascinating how detailed it was. Tuning out the rest of the class, she spent the rest of the period on her drawing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next class was history, and like math, she decided to try to pay attention to it. At least it weren\u2019t numbers she had to be dealing with. But, as a plan B, she pulled out her drawing anyway. When she opened the book to the page number the teacher gave them, she started to read, and for some reason, the words warmed her heart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was about the European settlers in the Americas, how it truly started in the 1400\u2019s. But that wasn\u2019t right, she knew that for a fact. Something inside of her knew that the book, and the teacher was wrong. How could she be so stupid? \u201cExcuse me,\u201d Bella spoke up as she raised her hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, Ms. Swan?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we\u2019re being taught about the Europeans coming to America, shouldn\u2019t the chapter, or your story, for that matter, start with how the Vikings fled Scandinavia to avoid the plague? They reached our shores at the beginning of the 10th century. Most of them went for Canada or Greenland, but there were also a few ships who didn\u2019t make it that far, and peacefully settled in Virginia, for example.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut that\u2019s not an important part of history, Ms. Swan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut it is. The story is so much more than just Christopher Columbus, who was a hack, by the way,\u201d that remark got the entire classroom to snicker, except for Edward, who didn\u2019t look amused at all. \u201cThe Norse Colony in Greenland lasted for nearly 500 years before conflict eventually caused them to flee. There was also a small colony in Virginia that bloomed into a somewhat larger village, but conflict with their native neighbors caused almost the entire village to die. This was all centuries before you and the book claim that the Europeans came to America. And it\u2019s just every bit important as your stories about Columbus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat proof do you have?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella huffed. \u201cThe proof is written on the cave walls. To hide from their assailants, the settlers created caves, sometimes a whole cave system, well hidden from view. They wrote their stories in Norse runes. Carved it in with knives or sharp stones.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBella\u2019s a little bit of a history buff,\u201d Edward smiled kindly, but she could detect agitation in his voice. \u201cForgive her, she gets too excited about things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not being deterred by Edward, Bella continued. \u201cIn 1837, a Danish antiquarian pointed out that the works of Adam of Bremen from 1075. The works told about early settlements in Winland, the Viking\u2019s name for what we now know as North America.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBella, that\u2019s enough,\u201d Edward snapped. \u201cYou\u2019re embarrassing the teacher and yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStop calling me Bella,\u201d she snapped back at him. \u201cYou know I hate that name.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think this is highly interesting,\u201d the teacher said as she sat down on top of her desk. \u201cYou see, Norse history, especially those of the Vikings, are a speciality of mine. Well, more like a hobby, and what you said, is correct.\u201d She then looked at the entire class. \u201cTake a lesson from this, everyone. Not everything you need to know is found in school books. I want a ten page essay on the time before Columbus and you might have to go to the library to find what you need. If you copy from wikipedia, I will know.\u201d When the school bell rang, she hopped off her desk. \u201cIsabella, Edward, please stay behind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t need to,\u201d Edward kindly smiled at the teacher as he held on to Bella. \u201cBella\u2019s not feeling too well, obviously, I should take her to the school nurse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust because she\u2019s excitable doesn\u2019t mean she\u2019s not feeling well,\u201d the teacher took Bella\u2019s hand and smiled at her. \u201cPlease, tell me more\u2026 Oh! What about the werewolf lore? What do you think about that? Was that truth or fiction?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn Greenland?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t answer that, Bella, let\u2019s go,\u201d Edward said as he started to pull her away from the teacher. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, Virginia,\u201d the teacher wasn\u2019t letting go of Bella either. \u201cSome local teenagers stumbled upon a cave there that told a story about a werewolf colony.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReally?\u201d Bella blinked, getting excited. \u201cOh, that is so cool!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTell you what. Come by my office tomorrow and we can go over some of the pictures. I don\u2019t have them with me right now but I promise, you\u2019re going to get a kick out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, Bella\u2019s not coming by your office tomorrow,\u201d Edward said with a growl. \u201cPlease let go of her before I file a complaint at the principal\u2019s office.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The teacher let go of Bella and put her hands in the air. \u201cFine, but just because she\u2019s smarter than you, doesn\u2019t mean you should get jealous,\u201d she said amused. \u201cAnd I am still your teacher, Edward Cullen, you don\u2019t get to make demands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o.O.o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forks, June 5th, 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He had taken Bella home after the stunt she pulled in history. Edward had put her in her room and had left her there. She didn\u2019t mind. It had been great to get excited about something again, it was almost as if a spark had ignited in her brain and she suddenly knew about Norse history. Edward had never told her that she liked it before the accident. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She spent the rest of the day looking out of her window, with the window wide open as she finished her drawing. The whispers of telling her that she was in danger were pushed to the back of her head, because they weren\u2019t real. They were insistent, but they weren\u2019t real. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edward took her to the principal\u2019s office that morning before school after Carlisle had told him to make a formal complaint, and was surprised to find the history teacher already present in the office. \u201cMr. Cullen! What can I do for you?\u201d The principal greeted him with a smile. \u201cDo you know that you make a bad impression when you go to a new school on the first day and then only take part in two classes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBella wasn\u2019t feeling too well, sir,\u201d Edward countered as Bella scowled next to him. \u201cYou see, she\u2019s been in a bad car accident a few weeks ago and if she gets excited, she gets dizzy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI do not,\u201d she huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI see. Does this have anything to do with what you wished to speak to me about, Ms. Salvatore?\u201d The principal said, looking at the teacher. \u201cYou started to say something about Mr. Cullen being less than friendly towards his friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe was,\u201d she confirmed, looking over at Edward. \u201cIsabella wished to stay behind to discuss her favourite history topic with me, and he was absolutely insistent on leaving and not wanting to leave her with me. As a teacher, I\u2019m concerned about his influence in my classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI understand. Mr. Cullen?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMs. Salvatore took things too far with Bella,\u201d Edward said in his polite voice. \u201cMy father wrote you a letter, specifically instructing you not to allow teachers to stimulate her like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe did?\u201d The principal said, looking through his stack of papers. \u201cOh, you mean this one where he wants to squelch Ms. Swan\u2019s intellectual growth?\u201d He held up the paper and looked at Edward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella was confused. \u201cWhy did Carlisle do that? I thought he wanted me back in school?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe does, but he still wants you to take it easy, love,\u201d Edward said kindly, caressing her back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s stupid,\u201d she huffed as she reached for the piece of paper and ripped it. \u201cThere. No more letter.\u201d She then turned to Edward. \u201cAnd if you don\u2019t get your hands off me, I will break them!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou skipped breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes,\u201d she said with a growl. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need to go home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat you need, Mr. Cullen,\u201d the principal spoke as he reached for another piece of paper and handed it to him. \u201cIs to get to class. I hope you don\u2019t mind, I switched things around for you so that the both of you no longer share a class together. Nor does she share a class with any of your siblings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edward scowled as he looked at the teacher, who was watching him with a big smile on her face before she waved at him. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to be late, now, do you? I\u2019ll make sure she\u2019ll have something to eat before her class starts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, you won\u2019t. She has a special diet. I\u2019m calling my father and this is not over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGet to class, Mr. Cullen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be fine,\u201d Bella sighed as she looked at Edward. \u201cGo already. I\u2019ll see you between classes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like this,\u201d Edward stomped off to find his sister. Something wasn\u2019t feeling right, they needed to take Bella out of class. He hadn\u2019t been able to get a read on the history teacher and the principal\u2019s thoughts were scrambled too. Something was up. Bella was in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella watched as Edward walked off and closed the door. She then turned to the teacher and the principal and sighed. \u201cDo I get a schedule change too?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ms. Salvatore smiled at her. \u201cYou\u2019re exempt from your first class, as it\u2019s math and we need to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like math.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, I figured that, come.\u201d She said as she lead Bella to a different room, an empty classroom before getting something out of her bag and lit it. \u201cThere. Now we can talk without anyone overhearing us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella looked at the teacher, confused. \u201cWhat is that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, it\u2019s a sage stick. Combined with the spell I just cast, we\u2019re now basically in Fort Knox. No vampire hearing and all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know of vampires?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes. And I happen to know you\u2019re with a bunch of dangerous ones right now,\u201d Ms. Salvatore leaned against the desk. \u201cYou\u2019re in danger, Isa. I\u2019m here to help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She blinked upon hearing the name Isa. \u201cWhat did you just call me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIsa.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella hummed in appreciation. \u201cSounds good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause that\u2019s your name,\u201d Ms. Salvatore smiled at her. \u201cNow, first things first. Are you hungry or thirsty?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNeither,\u201d Bella replied as she sat down on a chair. \u201cI skipped breakfast because it makes me feel sick. Carlisle devised a special diet for me and it\u2019s gross. I do like cranberry juice though, so I had that this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHmm\u2026\u201d Ms. Salvatore rummaged through her bag and produced a small carton of cranberry juice. \u201cHere you go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d she smiled at her, putting the straw in the carton and took a sip. \u201cOh, that is disgusting!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou said you liked cranberry juice,\u201d the teacher snorted and pointed at the carton. \u201cThat\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s not. It doesn\u2019t have the hint of copper it\u2019s supposed to have, nor does it soothe the burning. In fact, this doesn\u2019t burn at all, so I don\u2019t know what this is but\u2026\u201d she wrinkled her nose as she handed the carton back. \u201cThanks but no thanks. How do you know about the vampires? Have you any idea in what danger you\u2019re in by simply knowing about them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The teacher pointed at the sage stick. \u201cI\u2019m not afraid of them,\u201d she set the carton down and retrieved a blood bag from her bag. \u201cYou know what this is?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s blood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes. I brought it just in case.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She blinked as she saw the delighted look on her teacher\u2019s face. \u201cThat\u2019s disgusting, why would you do such a thing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUhuh,\u201d she said as she ripped the bag open at the top. \u201cHow does it smell? This is a delicious bag of AB negative. Would you want it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella couldn\u2019t control herself as she lunged for the bag and started to drink it out of instinct. This was stupid, this was gross. This wasn\u2019t happening, but it tasted so good. It was absolutely delicious and she moaned in pleasure. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d She muttered as she continued to empty the bag, squeezing it dry to the last drop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow do you feel?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStronger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood, I\u2019ll bring a bag in every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d Bella repeated as she wiped her mouth from the blood, before licking it off her hand as she wanted more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a vampire. The Cullens gave you just enough blood to stop you from desiccating and that\u2019s just not right,\u201d Ms. Salvatore took the bag and put it back in her purse. \u201cNow, Isa, this is important. You\u2019re not going to bite any student in this school, do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy would I want to bite someone?\u201d She asked as she blinked. Was she a vampire? Like Edward? But he fed on animals and that was definitely not animal blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes. I\u2019ve been told that when you get upset or angry or in a complete meltdown, you like to eat churches full of people. Don\u2019t let them know you know you\u2019re a vampire. Play along with their little game until we know more. While we\u2019d rather pull you out now, we don\u2019t think that will be good for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan\u2019t talk anymore, it\u2019s time to go to class,\u201d Ms. Salvatore said as she extinguished the sage stick. \u201cKeep this a secret.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella spent the rest of the day confused, lost in thought, as she tried to wrap her mind around things. She wasn\u2019t sure what was going on and it was very possible she\u2019d been hallucinating. Dreaming. Yes. That was it. Her encounter this morning with Ms. Salvatore hadn\u2019t been real. It had been wish fulfilment. But what if it wasn\u2019t? What if everything she experienced was real? That she was misplaced, that she was a vampire and that the trees were talking to her? Well, maybe the trees weren\u2019t, but everything else?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edward was fuming between classes, making sure she was still in one piece and by the end of the day, she had wanted to rip his head off, but it was as if the history teacher could sense that she was about to snap and pulled her aside to remind her to stay calm and collected. Bella wanted to rip out her heart for saying that. There wasn\u2019t a good reason for her to do so, other than it getting Bella into even more danger than she already was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But now that she was a vampire, her chances of surviving the Cullens just got bigger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When they got back to the house, Jasper was checking his phone as he received messages on it and she noticed how his pale complexion even tunred more pale. Bella headed straight to her room to do research. If she was a vampire, she wasn\u2019t a Cold One. Her skin wasn\u2019t marble and she had checked, she wasn\u2019t shimmering in the sun either.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jasper came to get her for dinner time, and much to her surprise, she didn\u2019t feel his intrusion on her mind, which confused her even more. It caused him to smile knowingly and escort her to the kitchen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She had found references about ancient vampires who looked like humans in every way. Mostly the lore of Dracula. Most vampires in modern day fiction were the same; garlic was bad, holy crosses were bad. Like walking in sunlight. It would cause vampires to combust. And yet, she had no problems with it at all. She was going to have to ask Ms. Salvatore about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that she was aware of what blood tasted like, she could taste a trace in her meal and in her cranberry juice, but her cranberry juice still burned, as if something else was added to it. She had gotten used to the burn over the last few months, she remembered how hard it was to drink it, but seeing as the Cullens wouldn\u2019t give her anything else, it was what she had to deal with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, Bella,\u201d Carlisle said gently. \u201cI shall have a talk with the principal tomorrow to get Edward back in your class. He said you were feeling quite miserable without him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No, she didn\u2019t. She didn\u2019t even like school. She spent her hours drawing instead of paying attention. If this was all for show, then why actively try to keep up the charade? It wasn\u2019t as if she knew what was going on anyway. Biology didn\u2019t make sense. Neither did Spanish. She accidentally caused a bloody nose at some girl during sports. She was miserable because she didn\u2019t understand. Not because of a lack of Edward. In fact, she did a better job at keeping up appearances without him breathing down her neck. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJasper volunteered to stay behind while we go out hunting,\u201d Carlisle said to Bella as she finished her plate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOkay, but can I please have some more juice? Or food? I\u2019m starving,\u201d she said as she pushed her plate away from her. Esme\u2019s cooking wasn\u2019t great, but she needed more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, you\u2019ve had enough,\u201d Carlisle laughed. \u201cBut it\u2019s a good thing that your appetite is returning, Bella. It\u2019s what we\u2019ve been waiting for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The moment the family left the house, was the moment where she started to look around for food. Or alcohol. Anything. But the Cullens didn\u2019t eat or drink. She was just about to give up when Jasper caught her snooping around. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I\u2019m—\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLooking for this?\u201d Jasper smiled at her as he held up a blood bag. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She hesitated before grabbing the bag and started to drink. \u201cSorry,\u201d she muttered, knowing that human blood didn\u2019t go well with Jasper and that he was probably fighting his urges. \u201cHow did you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe know you\u2019re a vampire, Bella. That\u2019s the whole point of your special diet. They give you enough not to dry up,\u201d he said kindly as he sat down. \u201cPassing you off as a human sounded better in Carlisle\u2019s mind as you\u2019re not like us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d she said with the bag still on her lips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow I\u2019m curious about how you know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a secret,\u201d she said as she licked her lips. There was still some blood left in the bag, but she realized she\u2019d been too greedy. \u201cYou know who I am then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd the car accident was a simple excuse?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWas any of it real?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo you? Yes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, it wasn\u2019t,\u201d Bella replied as she started to pace around the room. \u201cThings didn\u2019t add up, small things. And when I put all those small things together, it became a huge thing. So, why can\u2019t I remember who I am? What did you do to me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know the specifics. I do have to admit that Emmett and I were part of the team that removed you from your family because you\u2019re something special. It\u2019s not unheard of for a Cold One to have a special gift. Edward with his mindreading, Alice with her visions\u2026 but for a vampire like yourself? The Volturi wanted Carlisle to observe you. By pretending you\u2019re human and actively weakening you with your diet, he\u2019s doing just that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She decided she couldn\u2019t wait to finish her blood bag and finished it. \u201cTell me why I\u2019m not killing you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause up until earlier this evening, I had no idea who you were. Now that I know, I realize that we are in danger and I want to save my own skin. So I\u2019m on your side now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTraitor,\u201d she tossed the blood bag at him. \u201cIs my name Isa?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo I have to keep guessing about who I am or are you going to tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He laughed at that. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, darlin\u2019, but you need to figure that out for yourself. But after what happened in history yesterday, and after what I\u2019ve told you now, I think that you\u2019ll figure it out sooner or later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy do I need to figure it out for myself?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have no idea. As I said, Carlisle didn\u2019t go into specifics about that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She had a strong urge to kill him, but fought it. With Jasper being able to manipulate emotions, he was her strongest ally. He could keep her safe while she figured things out. \u201cIf I google vampire Isa, will I show up in the results?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o.O.o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forks, June 6th, 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isa looked at the burning sage stick as it burned and looked at Ms. Salvatore. \u201cMy name is Isa and I\u2019m a vampire. I know that the Cullens are holding me against my will and for some reason made up this thing that I was in a car crash and lost my memories as a part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCar crash? Well, that\u2019s new,\u201d the teacher said as she handed Bella a bag of blood. \u201cWhat else?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJasper Cullen has switched sides and is now protecting me,\u201d she looked at the bag of blood. \u201cNot that I\u2019m not grateful, or anything, but why should I trust you? I have a feeling that I shouldn\u2019t trust you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t like me very much, but that\u2019s okay. I\u2019d do anything for my family, even if it means keeping an eye on my almost sister-in-law.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour what?\u201d She nearly spat out the blood in shock. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSister-in-law. You\u2019re engaged to my brother. You were celebrating it in Virginia when they took you. He was out for a quick snack and when he returned, you were gone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust how old am I?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOld,\u201d she replied with a smile. \u201cI wish I could tell you more, but I can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJasper said the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDid he say anything about what they\u2019ve done to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Isa felt her face change as she tore through the bag. \u201cI\u2019m still not even sure if I\u2019m hallucinating all of this or not. It could very well be a trick of the mind, yet another side effect of the head trauma that I got from the crash.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat is indeed something you need to figure out,\u201d Ms. Salvatore agreed. \u201cWhat does your instinct tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, that things are wrong, but then I rationalize and remember what Carlisle said, that it\u2019s part of the injury and then I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou should listen to the trees for guidance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isa laughed. \u201cYes, now I\u2019m sure that I\u2019m hallucinating.\u201d She handed her the half empty bag. \u201cI don\u2019t want this anymore, this is stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are you feeling?\u201d

\u201cThat I need to create as much distance between you and me to feel safe. That I want out. Away. Gone. Hiding. I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood. Do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo!\u201d she blurted. \u201cBecause they will find me and they will bring me back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo? You\u2019re strong enough to hold your own against them,\u201d she said encouragingly, mildly pushing her. \u201cDo whatever you need to find yourself again. I\u2019m even willing to schedule a last minute class trip to Virginia to explore the Viking caves you talked about in class the other day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s a good idea, Ms. Salvatore,\u201d she said defensively. \u201cI suggest you start minding your own business before you get killed.\u201d She grabbed her bag and left the classroom, bumping into Alice as she turned the corner. \u201cWhat!\u201d Bella snapped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEasy, Bella,\u201d Alice said soothingly. \u201cAre you alright? What\u2019s made you so upset? Is it the teacher?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella looked at Alice and counted to ten. All she saw was a head she could screw off a body and to do that in the middle of a school hallway, was not a good plan. \u201cYes. It was a discussion gone awry about some Viking stuff,\u201d she replied as she tried to remain composed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReally? Because I couldn\u2019t hear a word that was going on inside that classroom,\u201d Edward said as he joined his sister\u2019s side. \u201cIn any case, don\u2019t let her get to you like that. It\u2019s unbecoming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella growled as she pushed Edward against the nearest wall with a loud bang. \u201cYou know what\u2019s unbecoming? Trying to control me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBella!\u201d Alice gasped. \u201cYou let go of him right this instant! Edward and I are only looking out for you! Clearly you\u2019re not alright, maybe we should take you home. Give you some rest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She grabbed Alice by the throat as she started to see red. Just the idea of destroying the pixie filled her heart with glee. No one was touching Isa. No one. There was only one person for her and he wasn\u2019t here, and she didn\u2019t know who he was, either. But it wasn\u2019t Edward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alice grabbed her throat once Bella was on the floor and looked at Jasper. \u201cWhy did you do that!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause Edward wasn\u2019t doing anything and she was just about to rip your throat out,\u201d Jasper countered as he lifted the limp body of the vampire and flung her over his shoulder. \u201cI\u2019m taking her to the woods, have her wake up, calm her down and take her to Carlisle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, do that. Make sure he straps her down and put her under, she\u2019s regressing,\u201d Alice sneered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s that teacher,\u201d Edward pointed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo shit, Sherlock,\u201d Jasper rolled his eyes at him and marched out of the school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o.O.o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She sat up and glared at Jasper before looking at where they were. The woods. He hadn\u2019t taken her home, he hadn\u2019t killed her and they weren\u2019t in school. And most importantly, she still felt that rage coursing through her body, so he hadn\u2019t messed with her head, either. She kept staring at him, not willing to be the first person to speak up. He had snapped her neck, he should apologize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou would have torn her head off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was the idea,\u201d Bella said angrily. \u201cI am sick and tired of playing games. No one is giving me the answers that I need and until then, I\u2019m stuck with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou need to calm down. I can\u2019t take you home like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is no calming down!\u201d Bella fumed as she got to her feet and started to pace around the clearing. \u201cAnd you know why? I\u2019ve learned that I\u2019ve been living a lie for months! I wasn\u2019t in a car crash, I was taken. By you! All the things I\u2019ve been told are preventing me from remembering who I am because for some reason, for every feeling that I have, there\u2019s an explanation! If murdering Alice or Edward or Carlisle or whomever will solve that for me, then you should allow me to!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut it won\u2019t solve anything,\u201d he said calmly, as he watched the vampire. She was pacing around like a caged animal, feral, wild. Dangerous now that she was souped up on human blood. The vervain in her system was enough to keep her from being compelled, but not enough to weaken her. He was sure that Alice and Edward would tell Carlisle what happened at school and he would up the dosage. Maybe put her under again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her anger was justified, it was pure, as was her heart. However, if she didn\u2019t calm down, he was going to have to use his ability. Despite her age, she still could be killed once subdued enough and that would result in his death. And that wasn\u2019t going to happen. \u201cIsa, you need to calm down on your own, or I will have to help you. Find your control.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe taking her to the woods hadn\u2019t been such a great idea. He knew that she could still hear the whispers, her connection to nature was the only thing that Carlisle struggled with to get tucked away, but she had been told that they were hallucinations. Jasper feared for a complete overload.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But perhaps the complete overload wasn\u2019t such a bad thing. She was far away from civilisation, he could control her emotions and there wasn\u2019t a lot of hurt that she could do. Maybe if she\u2019d start listening to what surrounded her, she would be able to get back to herself in a much quicker way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFocus and listen. What do you hear?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothing,\u201d she said as she stopped and looked at him. \u201cThe rustling of leaves, the tiny feet of animals. The wind. Your poor attempt of trying to look like you\u2019re breathing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat else? What about the whispers?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t, Jasper. Don\u2019t,\u201d she warned him. \u201cThose aren\u2019t real. Carlisle said. They\u2019re not real.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd everything that Carlisle has told you has been a lie, so start listening to those whispers, Isa Karlsdotter, or I will have to use my gift on you before I bring you home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She hit the nearest tree in her rage, and watched as it snapped in half. Immediately she could feel a tightness in her chest, almost as if she had committed the crime of the century and put her arms around it before it fell on the ground. \u201cNo, no, no, I\u2019m so sorry, I\u2019m so sorry,\u201d she said as tears fell down her face. She tried to put it back in its place and held on to it. \u201cI didn\u2019t mean to, please, reattach, please, please\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He reeled from the emotional rollercoaster that Isa was on. Her anger was now replaced by deep sadness and concern. She truly felt sorry for hurting the tree, but there was nothing she could do about it. The tree was broken. \u201cLet it go, Isa.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo!\u201d She held on to the tree, holding it in place as she placed her head against the trunk and then she heard its screams. Its agony. Mark, the tree, was in so much pain, it was crippling her as she held on, trying to soothe him. But it was too much. She had to let go to stop feeling as if every fibre in her body was on fire, and that meant that she had murdered a tree in cold blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isa gently lowered the trunk to the ground, placing it neatly next to the stump before caressing what was left of the tree. \u201cI am so sorry, Mark,\u201d she whispered. \u201cI shouldn\u2019t have done that. I am so sorry. No, this is unforgivable. I\u2019m the last person who should have cut you down. Please, try to grow back,\u201d she sobbed as she kept caressing the stump. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He watched in awe as she talked to the tree as if it was a real person, as if she was now listening. He could work with her sadness, tell Carlisle that she got sad because she hates it that she can\u2019t remember things, or that she feels stupid in school for not understanding the subject matter anymore. It made the house a safer place for all of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It didn\u2019t take away the fact that the whole scene was heartbreaking. She had rediscovered a part of herself, and in her mind, had to do the unspeakable to do so. On the other hand, this was good. She was on the road back. Maybe he could have Carlisle tell him why it would be wrong for her to have her memories back in one go – other than that she\u2019d probably kill them all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He started to pick up another person\u2019s emotions and decided that he and Isa had to head home. \u201cWe need to go,\u201d he said as he tried to pry her off the tree, but she was holding on to it for dear life. \u201cCome on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want to stay outside,\u201d she was still sobbing. \u201cI need to heal him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou already have, come on. We\u2019re not alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care! Mark needs me right now!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jasper sighed as he started to pry her fingers off the stump one by one. \u201cDon\u2019t make me influence you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGo away,\u201d she said as she pushed him away, flinging him across the clearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, careful, you nearly took my head off with that one,\u201d a voice sounded as he emerged from the trees. \u201cBut I guess I had it coming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isa looked up as she wiped the tears from her eyes. \u201cI know you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI sure hope so, otherwise I\u2019m not sure what I\u2019m doing here,\u201d he smirked as he pushed the Cold One down again and continued to walk to Isa. \u201cI saw your little spat with the tree.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t mean to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know. I did mean to kick Ezekiel through the woods though, and you scolded me for that, so I know your pain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, you let me know the pain quite well, oh woodnymph of mine,\u201d he said with a grin and squatted down next to her. \u201cI\u2019m not here to hurt you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood. So, what\u2019s my name?\u201d He pushed a strand of hair out of her face and looked at her, hopeful that she\u2019d remember. \u201cCome on, don\u2019t make me wait. I know it\u2019s in your head somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you my history teacher\u2019s brother?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat the fuck is Stefan doing out here?\u201d Damon blinked at her. \u201cI told him to hold the fort!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, no, the blonde lady.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRebekah? Is that her name?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know. I only know her as Ms. Salvatore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, sounds intriguing,\u201d Damon said amused. \u201cI guess I\u2019ll have to go to school tomorrow to check her out. Is she hot?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t she your sister? She claims to be my almost sister-in-law, so am I engaged to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He blinked at that and then started to laugh, falling backwards into the grass and kept laughing. \u201cOh man, I haven\u2019t laughed so much in ages!\u201d He hiccuped. \u201cOh, that\u2019s good\u2026 I can\u2019t wait until Stefan hears about this. Or your actual fianc\u00e9\u2026 although he\u2019d kill me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course not! Don\u2019t get me wrong, you\u2019re hot, but you\u2019re not my type. Besides, you broke my dick, there was no way in hell I was going to allow you anywhere near me like that!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought two legs and two boobs were your type,\u201d Jasper piped up as he moved beside Isa. \u201cDamon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJazzy pants, good to see you again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAsshole.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe feeling\u2019s mutual, dickface.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWait,\u201d Isa said confused as she looked between the two. \u201cYou two know each other?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot by choice,\u201d Damon winced. \u201cAs it turned out, we have a mutual friend who forces us to be buddies from time to time\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd your name is Damon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah but that doesn\u2019t count, he told you,\u201d he said with a grin and got to his feet. \u201cNow, you both better hurry along now, Ms. Salvatore sent me a text message saying that the rest of the Cullens left school as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo you do know her,\u201d Isa pointed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019ve never met the woman, but I guess she\u2019s a witch and she\u2019s on my\u2026 our, side. So\u2026 yeah\u2026 I know of her, but I\u2019ve never met her.\u201d He then turned to Jasper. \u201cSpeaking of witches, my witch has said to tread lightly. Not to push her that much. The thing that you just pulled? That was pushing too much. Last time she was sent into an overload, she slaughtered an entire church filled with people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s why we\u2019re in the middle of the woods,\u201d Jasper pointed out. \u201cI know how unstable she is, I can feel it. There\u2019s plenty of wildlife for her to take down, and unfortunately she took it out on a tree.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh! Mark!\u201d Isa cried out, her attention diverted back to the tree and went back to it to pet it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, don\u2019t worry, Mark will be fine,\u201d Damon huffed, waving it away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDude, she talks to trees.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe talks to trees and Ezekiel is doing better now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you sure you\u2019re okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, I\u2019m fine. Peachy. As long as she stays away from my dick.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o.O.o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forks, June 10th, 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella yawned and tried to stretch herself as the sunlight caressed her face and woke her. It was a beautiful day, indeed. She looked out the window and smiled. The sky was bluer than blue and there was barely any wind. Maybe she was allowed outside for a little bit today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood Morning, Bella,\u201d Edward\u2019s voice sounded. \u201cHow are you feeling?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHappy,\u201d she smiled at him as he came into focus. \u201cFine, really. Can we go outside today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe, if there\u2019s some shade,\u201d he pushed her hair out of her face before undoing her restraints. \u201cLet\u2019s start with coming downstairs for breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She allowed herself to be pulled up and she felt slightly weak in the knees, but Bella was thankful that Edward kept her upright. It had been an interesting couple of days and she couldn\u2019t remember much, but Edward had told her that she had some mental breakdown, related to a car accident she had been in. They had to restrain her because the medicine they had given her caused some side effects and they had been worried that she\u2019d hurt herself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Bella didn\u2019t remember the rest, and that was alright. She wasn\u2019t going to be forced to remember, because they would love her anyway for the rest of her life. The Cullens were going to take care of her like they had before, no matter how bad things would get with her. She should feel lucky that she hadn\u2019t been admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Yes. She felt lucky. She felt happy. Content. Safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood Morning, Bella,\u201d Carlisle greeted her. Dr. Cullen was amazing. He was kind and he was knowledgeable. And Bella was in his debt. Any other person would have told her to go away after she\u2019d shown some issues after her accident, but he took care of her. He didn\u2019t want to leave her on her own as she didn\u2019t have anybody. \u201cYou remember Corin, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHi,\u201d she greeted her with a nod. Corin was a nurse, a befriended nurse from Italy and she had come over to help Carlisle with Bella\u2019s treatment. And that was fine, she was a nice lady. She remembered another nurse, but it appeared that she was no longer needed and had left. Bella gratefully dug into the breakfast that Esme had made for her and greedily drank her cranberry juice. She loved cranberry juice, it tasted ever so sweet, but with a little after burn to wake her up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was thinking of taking Bella out on the patio this afternoon,\u201d Edward spoke up. \u201cTo try to get some color back on her face.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s the best idea, Edward. Bella is still weak. But, we could play some boardgames today, wouldn\u2019t that be fun, Bella?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat sounds like fun, I\u2019m good with whatever you decide.\u201d She watched as Corin excused herself and then longingly looked at her now empty glass of juice. \u201cCan I have some more juice, please?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, sweetheart, we don\u2019t want you to get an upset stomach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She nodded slowly and thought for a moment. \u201cCan I have some water, then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water didn\u2019t quench her thirst. Maybe she wasn\u2019t feeling too well, still. \u201cI uhm\u2026 I\u2019m going back to bed,\u201d Bella said softly as she retreated to the bedroom, followed closely by Edward, making sure that she wouldn\u2019t pass out on the way there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next thing she knew was hearing a lot of crashing and falling of things and noises, startled, she looked at Edward, who had a concerned look on his face. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re under attack,\u201d Edward managed to say before he lifted Bella off the bed and gently put her in a closet. He handed her her blanket and her pillow. \u201cStay here until I come and get you, do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She nodded as she watched the door close. All she could hear were shouts, followed by more crashing and shattering of things. It seemed to go on for a very long time, she wasn\u2019t quite sure for how long, but she could feel her heart beat in her chest, desperately wanting to jump out of there. \u201cWhere is she! Find her!\u201d She could hear someone demand and Bella felt a chill run down her spine. They were looking for her, weren\u2019t they?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She hid underneath her blanket and tried to crawl deeper into the closet. She was so scared, so unbelievably scared. But Edward would make sure they couldn\u2019t get to her. The rest of the Cullens would make sure, wouldn\u2019t they? They were strong and indestructible. Why would anyone want her? Bella wasn\u2019t anyone special. Maybe they were from the hospital and they would take her away, lock her away for good, because she wasn\u2019t right in the head, she knew that, but Carlisle had done everything in his power to make sure she could stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She wanted to stay. \u201cPlease, Edward, make sure they don\u2019t get to me,\u201d she whispered from underneath her blanket. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBella.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJasper!\u201d Bella crawled out of her hiding spot and saw his bloodied appearance. \u201cWhat\u2026 what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d he smiled at her and lifted her in his arms. \u201cYou\u2019re safe, I\u2019m sorry we had to do it this way,\u201d Jasper grabbed her blanket and wrapped it around her. Knowing that she was going to be upset, he gently nudged her mind into a nice, peaceful state. \u201cBut there wasn\u2019t any other way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d She put her arms around his neck and looked around as he walked through the house with her. She could see body parts belonging to the family all over. \u201cJasper, what happened? Are they\u2026 where\u2019s Edward?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She started to struggle against his hold, and even though she\u2019d been put through the mental and physical wringer, he was glad that she was so weak, it was easier to transport her like that. He could feel how she fought his calming influence, and it took a lot of him to make sure she wouldn\u2019t shut down or flip out. \u201cSorry, darlin\u2019, I\u2019m the only one left standing. They came out of nowhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho did?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNever mind that, you\u2019re safe now. I\u2019m going to take you to a place where you\u2019ll be safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o.O.o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mystic Falls, June 12th, 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere are we?\u201d Bella asked as Jasper carried her through the woods. He had slipped some blood in her drink along the way. It was hard for him to control himself, but he did it. He didn\u2019t want to end up like the rest of his family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jasper now understood why Damon had called the Original vampire the Happy Homicidal Maniac. Watching him tear into Edward was brutal, what was worse was that he used Edward\u2019s arm to separate Alice\u2019s head from her torso and continued his violent rampage. Damon and Jasper simply had to make sure no one ran. It was hard, to watch his family getting slaughtered like that, and if he hadn\u2019t changed his mind, he would have ended up the same way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mikaelsons and the sired one had managed to figure out what exactly Carlisle had done to Isa, and that there were only two options for her to recover. One; she was going to have to remember everything all by herself, push through the boundaries that had been set up in her mind or two; wait until the vervain was out of her system and invade her mind to break down the barriers, but that would severely hurt. Something her fianc\u00e9 didn\u2019t want to happen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For now, they went with option one, and the first step would be to bring her back to the place that she called home. Jasper wasn\u2019t quite sure where the cabin was, and he wasn\u2019t really allowed to know other than that it was in these woods. He understood why. It was for Isa\u2019s protection. \u201cI\u2019m going to leave you in the care of a friend of mine,\u201d he spoke as he stopped in the middle of a clearing. \u201cThis is for your own protection while I find the ones responsible for killing my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTrust me, Bella,\u201d he smiled at her. \u201cYou\u2019re going to be perfectly safe with him. He knows about your accident and your relapse, and he promised me that he could fix you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut Carlisle said\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat can I say? This guy is a miracle worker,\u201d he gently set her down on the ground. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t leave you with him if I didn\u2019t completely trust him.\u201d Jasper then pointed at the trees around them. \u201cThese trees will keep you safe as well. And it may sound silly, but if you listen closely, you can hear them talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a child, Jasper,\u201d she rolled her eyes at him and watched as a man emerged from the shadows. \u201cIs that him?\u201d The man was tall and he had a handsome face, she could see that he had a forced smile on his face, but it was handsome. If it hadn\u2019t been for the loss of Edward that she was still dealing with, she would even go as far as the man being boyfriend material. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBella, this is Kol Mikaelson and he\u2019s going to take care of you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHello, darling,\u201d Kol greeted her. He hadn\u2019t liked the plan, but Freya thought this was the best way possible to save his Isa. But it hurt when there was no hint of recognition in her eyes. It made him want to kill the Cullens all over again. Maybe even start with Jasper. Despite his change of heart, he still had had a hand in taking her away in the first place. \u201cYou must feel exhausted from your journey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her heart skipped a beat. He had an English accent and it was beautiful. His voice sounded kind, heavenly. She trusted him, and didn\u2019t need Jasper to tell her that he was trustworthy. She felt a sense of peace, serenity, in his presence. And that wasn\u2019t Jasper\u2019s influence either. Bella let go of Jasper to walk towards him, but wobbled and nearly fell. If it wasn\u2019t for Kol catching her, she\u2019d have fallen on the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLook at that, already falling for me,\u201d he said with a grin as he scooped her up into his strong arms and then looked at Jasper. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jasper nodded. \u201cKeep her safe,\u201d he then turned around and sped off to where he had left the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWelcome to Mystic Falls,\u201d Kol said to her as he started to walk towards the cabin. He couldn\u2019t take his eyes off of her, she looked terrible. They had been so close in getting her back a few days ago, but much to his frustration, Carlisle had been on to them. The house went into lockdown mode and while Kol wanted to go in and take her then, Damon had insisted that they\u2019d wait, after seeing Isa\u2019s state of mind. Now that he saw her for himself, he knew that they had quite a way to go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the journey to the cabin didn\u2019t take long at all, by the time they arrived, she had fallen asleep in his arms. His tiny Isa. His beloved. But he was a stranger to her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He tucked her into bed and shot off a message to Damon to get some human food down to the cabin. He wanted to give her blood, immediately, but she could get defensive about it and she could shut down. Kol didn\u2019t want that to happen so until the moment would come up, he was going to have to play along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that sucked. He wanted to pump her full of blood and take her to the caverns below, to show her her own words. He wanted her back. He wanted his Isa back and once she was back, they would both track down Jasper and kill him. Because she earned her revenge as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patience wasn\u2019t one of his virtues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o.O.o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was food. She smelled food and she was so hungry. She sat up and looked around, disoriented as where she was. It looked like a cabin, a one roomed cabin with a huge tree in the middle – seriously, who did that? – and she was on the bed. There was food on some big slab of stone and that man was sitting next to it, obsessively checking his phone. \u201cHow did you manage to get food without a stove?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, you\u2019re up!\u201d Kol smiled brightly at her as he brought over the food. \u201cI\u2019m a terrible cook, especially over an open fire. I had a friend of mine make it and bring it over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She looked at the meal, the smoke was still coming off of it. \u201cAre you a vampire like Jasper?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot like Jasper, but yes,\u201d he said as if he was offended. \u201cHe\u2019s the stone cold sort.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd what? You\u2019re the warm and cuddly sort?\u201d She countered with a smile as she tucked into her food, it tasted delicious, it was the best food she\u2019d ever had. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWould you like me to be?\u201d Kol replied playfully. \u201cI mean, I could be. But all vampires are cold blooded. My kind simply has a way to stay warm. And we bleed normal blood, not the acidic goo that Jasper said was painted on the walls of that house you were in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She lowered her fork and tried not to get queasy about it. \u201cDon\u2019t remind me, that was gross and horrific and ugh. I\u2019m not hungry anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou barely ate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou started to talk about blood and goo, it\u2019s disgusting,\u201d she shuddered at the thought and the memory, before sighing deep. She hadn\u2019t had the chance yet to completely process what was going on, what had happened. Jasper had done his best to shield her from the onslaught at the house, but that didn\u2019t take away the fact that everyone who cared about and for her, were gone. She had even started to like Edward again. \u201cDo you know what happened in Forks?\u201d She asked quietly, looking down at her hands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She looked up to him with a hopeful look in her eyes. \u201cDo you know who killed them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, he didn\u2019t like the way this was going, but decided to answer truthfully anyway. The sooner, the better, right? \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen you should tell Jasper, because he\u2019s trying to find the ones responsible, to make them pay,\u201d she said, urging him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sighing, Kol handed her back her fork. \u201cYou should eat something. If you finish your plate, I\u2019ll consider telling Jasper who\u2019s responsible, but I have an inkling that he already knows.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t blackmail me in eating in exchange to do something,\u201d she said as she continued to eat. If she had to be honest, she was still hungry and it simply tasted divine. \u201cThis tomato sauce is amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He smiled at her, if only she knew. She had to finish the pasta, she\u2019d get a good quantity of blood inside of her, even though it was only nearly enough to sustain her. The quicker she remembered she was a vampire again, the better. \u201cJasper has told me about your story, you don\u2019t remember anything before your accident?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d she said as she kept eating. \u201cCarlisle said that it was my body\u2019s way of suppressing the accident – complete blank slate. And it\u2019s not funny.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo you remember going to school last week?\u201d If she did, then they\u2019d be a lot closer to getting her back than originally thought. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSort of? I mean, I know I went to school, but then I started to hallucinate again so I\u2019m not sure if I was ever present,\u201d she said with a snort. \u201cThe hallucinations or maybe it was disassociation, started when I got in with it with the history teacher about the Europeans coming to the Americas. I mean, I know that he\u2019s considered the most important person in history, but the Europeans, especially the Vikings, started coming to this place even before the 10th century. Christopher Columbus was a hack.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol smiled at that. Freya had told him about the encounter, of course, and he had beamed with pride. It was proof that his Isa was still in there, buried, but in there. \u201cI think you\u2019ll get a kick out of this; this cabin was built in the 10th century by the daughter of a viking who had travelled to the New World to escape the plague.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReally?\u201d Her eyes grew big as saucers before looking around, really looking around. It was beautiful. \u201cBut what\u2019s with the tree?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt reminded her of her beloved and she decided to make it the center of her home, that way, he was always close even though he was off trotting around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story sounded familiar, but she couldn\u2019t remember where she had read about it. \u201cShe built this by herself? What was she? Superwoman?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA vampire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh. Yeah, that makes sense, I suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t believe me,\u201d Kol said with a pout. \u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell she\u2019d have to have been a Cold One, then. All the Volturi leaders were born like\u2026 a millennium and a half before Christ. They\u2019re the oldest vampires that ever roamed the planet, perhaps there are even older vampires than that because they\u2019d have to be turned and so forth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe wasn\u2019t a Cold One,\u201d he said, not amused. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTouchy subject?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot at all, darling,\u201d he said with a wink and got to his feet. He needed to create some distance between himself and this Bella<\/em>. He didn\u2019t like her. \u201cShe wasn\u2019t a Cold One. In fact, she was the first sired vampire after a powerful witch cast an immortality spell on her children to protect them from harm. Granted, it happened by accident because she and one of those children were as good as betrothed to each other and they drank a little of each other\u2019s blood whenever one went away for a very long time. She died in a fire and turned. Then she waited for hundred and hundreds of years for her beloved, waiting for him to return, but he never did because he didn\u2019t know that she was still waiting for him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think I saw that movie once,\u201d Bella said with a yawn. \u201cOr was it a book? I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGet some rest.\u201d Yes, rest, he added in thought. Before I snap your neck. When she laid down and drifted off into a light slumber, he quietly left the cabin and handed Damon the dishes as he was still waiting outside. \u201cI need to kill something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o.O.o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mystic Falls, June 13th, 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She had woken up a few times during the night, and she had been afraid that Kol would be watching her, like Edward had done in the beginning of their relationship, but he was sleeping on the big stone slab and it didn\u2019t look too comfortable. She was surprised that he was sleeping, really. To her knowledge, vampires didn\u2019t sleep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella quietly made her way out of bed and stumbled in the dark. She was grateful for the tree at that moment, as she fell into it instead of face-planting on the floor. \u201cWhoops,\u201d she whispered. \u201cSorry!\u201d What was she? Drunk? She was surprised when her head got filled with images, vibrations. A voice, even.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jasper had told her to listen to the trees, and he\u2019d been silly, but was this really a tree talking to her? Instead of withdrawing her hands, she kept them on the trunk, trying to figure out how it worked. Apparently, the tree was hyperactive, a wave of emotion and feelings coming over her and thoughts. Words. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isa is home. Isa is home. Happiness. Joy. Isa is home. Don\u2019t leave again, Isa. We need you to get better, don\u2019t leave. Remember. Remember. Isa is home. <\/em>There were flashes of her – was it her? – in various ages in time, running between the trees with a big smile on her face. Dancing underneath a tree shedding its leaves in Autumn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stumbling backwards back onto the bed, she stared at the tree in confusion. She was crazy. That was it. Better yet, she was dreaming. Yes, she was still dreaming and to deal with what happened in Forks, she dreamt that the tree spoke to her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d Kol muttered as he opened his eyes and looked at her. Oh, he knew what was going on, or he hoped he know. If his namesake could help him out with Isa, then he was all for it. Even though it still sounded ridiculous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothing. I need to pee, where\u2019s the bathroom?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOutside in the bushes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes. Or there\u2019s a bucket just outside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNever heard of running water?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have, actually. There\u2019s a river not too far from here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella huffed as she crawled back under the blankets. \u201cPass. I don\u2019t have to go that bad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He couldn\u2019t contain his laughter. \u201cOh, that is just precious,\u201d he sat up as he was nearly choking. \u201cOh, so precious. I should write that down, you\u2019re going to find this amusing later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not funny,\u201d Bella muttered. \u201cI get it that living in the middle of nowhere is safe and all, but no running water?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe river is quite nice this time of year. I\u2019ll take you to it later so you can take a dip and clean yourself up. I\u2019ll have my friend bring over some clothes you\u2019ll fit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was quiet for a while and still disturbed by what had happened when she had touched the tree, she sat up again. \u201cI know this is going to sound crazy, and you might think that I\u2019m breaking or whatever but the tree spoke to me. Or at least I think it did. Maybe you should let Jasper know and have him assess the notion of me thinking that the tree spoke to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause it\u2019s a tree! Who talks to trees? You? Can you hear it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, but it\u2019s quite normal in your case.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her head snapped to him. \u201cWhat do you mean? You don\u2019t know me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, I don\u2019t know you<\/em>. But I do know the other you. I\u2019ve already said too much, go back to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo.\u201d Frustrated by the lack of light, she got out of bed and made her way over to Kol and sat down next to him. \u201cYou\u2019re going to tell me what\u2019s going on. Right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOr what?\u201d While he was glad that the meal laced with more blood that she\u2019d gotten over the last few days had kicked in and done her some good, right now he preferred the weaker version of this Bella. This wasn\u2019t how things were supposed to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to keep asking until you break,\u201d she threatened. \u201cOr pee all over you, depending on how long it takes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a long story.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m awake, you\u2019re awake, so tell me the story.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He let out a growl and reached for the bottle of bourbon that he had placed next to the stone and screwed off the lid before taking a large gulp. He then handed it to Bella and she did the same. \u201cThat story I was telling you earlier, about the family who was turned immortal? It\u2019s true. And I know that because it was my mother who cast the spell, turning my siblings and I into vampires. This cabin? Belongs to my fianc\u00e9.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOkay\u2026\u201d Bella said slowly, taking another sip before handing the bottle back to him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd the part of not knowing that I had turned her, is true too. She spent a thousand years all by herself, with the trees, saving people, helping them. Whenever she could, whenever the trees told her she had to,\u201d he continued as he took another swig. \u201cAnd at first, after our reunion, I thought it was endearing that she believed that she could talk to nature. That she was able to heal broken trees, or asked the animals for their permission to feed on them. Then, it got annoying and I tried cutting her off. We travelled across the world for a while, until a couple of months ago when we helped out my brother in New Orleans. I was an idiot and pushed her away. She came back here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause this is her home. All of her memories are here. The trees are her family and her entire story is written down. I needed some time to come to my senses and eventually found her here. We talked things over and then I proposed.\u201d Sighing, Kol ran a hand through his hair as he took another drink. \u201cI left her for only a moment to go and get some blood and when I returned, she was gone. Kidnapped.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She didn\u2019t know what to say as she looked at him. \u201cI am so sorry, I can\u2019t imagine what you must be going through. What\u2019s your fianc\u00e9 like?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019s the most kindest, loving and prettiest person on this Earth. I don\u2019t deserve her, not one bit, but she\u2019s so forgiving. Her heart is so open and I\u2019ve done some nasty things to her, or in my life, and she doesn\u2019t care. I didn\u2019t know I sired her, she doesn\u2019t care. I didn\u2019t know that I had a hand in her death that caused her to turn, she said it was alright. After we fought and I returned to her, she said that while she was cross with me, she forgave me, because she was at fault too. But she wasn\u2019t. Not entirely. I should have known better. I have a big ego, you see. I thought I could fix her. Change her life so she could live inside my world, but I had to realize that it was me who needed to change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019s one lucky girl,\u201d Bella smiled at him. \u201cWhy are you hanging out with me then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He nearly drowned himself in the rest of the bottle, quiet, as he contemplated his next move. Bella was still weak. He knew that it was their plan to have her remember on her own or wait until the vervain was out of her system, but she was weak. Weaker than when she slaughtered the church. He could easily overpower her when needed and he could keep her inside. Throw her into the cave system below if needed. The only entrance and exit were in the cabin. \u201cBecause I have to,\u201d he eventually said, finishing the bottle. \u201cNow, you had your story, go back to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat wasn\u2019t an answer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s what you\u2019re going to have to accept,\u201d Kol got to his feet, lifted Bella up and got her back onto the bed. \u201cLater today we\u2019re going to the river so you can clean yourself up. Not another peep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o.O.o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow is she doing?\u201d Damon asked as he stopped next to Kol, who kept an ear out for Bella. She was having a wash up at the river and even though he was close by, he wanted to give her some privacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019s lucky I didn\u2019t snap her neck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDoes she remember what happened a few days ago?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, although she thinks that it didn\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood. Then we\u2019re going to work her up so much that she\u2019ll kill one of her trees again and snaps.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the worst idea ever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSeemed to work the last time,\u201d Damon shrugged as he pushed a bag of clothes in Kol\u2019s arms. \u201cThey\u2019re Elena\u2019s. I think it\u2019ll fit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFreya managed to figure out what herbs they used on her. It\u2019s not just vervain, but it also prevents witches from getting inside Isa\u2019s head,\u201d Kol replied as he held the bag. \u201cShe doesn\u2019t even want to make an attempt, afraid that she\u2019ll do permanent harm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019s been off the drugs and vervain for two days. She\u2019ll come back,\u201d he replied, hopeful, as he watched Isa emerge from the river, still wearing her clothes that were now soaking wet. \u201cOh, change of clothes coming to the rescue!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella saw Damon standing next to Kol. But if Damon was here, if he was real<\/em>, then was what she experienced when he and Jasper were bickering also real? She felt the color drain from her face. That was ridiculous. Because if that was real, Ms. Salvatore from school had been correct and that while she thought she had imagined it, she had drank human blood from a blood bag. Because she\u2019d be a vampire<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If all of that was real, and not a hallucination as Carlisle had told her, then that meant that she wasn\u2019t Bella Swan. She was Isa. Kol\u2019s fianc\u00e9. Which, explained a lot, but it wasn\u2019t real. It simply couldn\u2019t be real. She didn\u2019t want to be a vampire, and if she had to believe Kol, Isa was an old vampire. No, this wasn\u2019t happening. Nope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, I know that look on her face,\u201d Damon murmured. \u201cShe\u2019s ready to bolt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol made his way over to her and wrapped his arms around the wet vampire. \u201cNo, she\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSire to the rescue! You know, if you had been around when she was turned, maybe on your way to control your impulses, you could have taught her!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not helping, Damon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella struggled against Kol\u2019s hold. \u201cI have no idea what you\u2019re doing, but let me go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not going to run?\u201d Kol asked surprised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy would I do that?\u201d She ducked out from underneath his arms, snatched the bag from the ground and started to march back to the cabin. \u201cMy life is a crazy mess right now, if I\u2019d run, I\u2019d never figure out what\u2019s real or not. And unless you want to see me naked, don\u2019t come into the cabin until I say you can!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh!\u201d Damon smirked, earning him being smacked on the head by Kol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo not tempt me to tell you to go fuck yourself, Damon, it won\u2019t be pretty,\u201d he warned him as they followed Isa back to the cabin. \u201cI\u2019m only tolerating you for your kinship with my Isa and because she cares about you, but do not piss me off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey, she offered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, that was a warning,\u201d he countered as he stood in front of the door. \u201cI appreciate all that you\u2019re doing to help out, and you and I might seem friendly, but do not mistake that for something that it\u2019s not. I will kill you if I have to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJealous much?\u201d Damon huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and defiantly looked at Kol. \u201cI don\u2019t like her that way, and you know it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella opened the door and gently nudged Kol before pulling him inside. She then pointed at Damon. \u201cInside, now.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damon winced, she sounded much like a disapproving mother, but he knew that she couldn\u2019t really hurt him, the little blood in the two meals he had prepared for her wasn\u2019t enough to actually rip out his spleen\u2026 or was it? Isa was known for living on less potent blood. Oh, he was fucked. She was going to break his dick again, wasn\u2019t she?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSit,\u201d she ordered the both of them as she leaned against the tree trunk. Damon looked guilty and Kol looked amused. She didn\u2019t feel amused, at all. \u201cFirst of all, whose clothes are these?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAh, my girlfriend\u2019s,\u201d Damon replied. \u201cIf you\u2019d think that I\u2019d go shopping clothes for you\u2026 sorry, I draw the line there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGet a different detergent because it smells.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNoted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd I know you,\u201d she told Damon. \u201cYou were in the clearing with me and Jasper, when he tried to calm me down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, I was.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pushing herself away from the trunk, she started to pace around it. \u201cOkay so\u2026 if you were there, and you\u2019re now confirming it, that means that it actually happened or I\u2019m currently hallucinating. So this is either real, or not real. But it\u2019s so ridiculous that it can\u2019t be real, so you\u2019re not here, unless Kol sees you too, and he can, because he talked to you. You\u2019re interacting with each other. You\u2019re both not real then,\u201d she tried to rationalize as she kept pacing. \u201cBut let\u2019s say all of this is real, just for the sake of my sanity\u2026 all of this started with my teacher. Ms. Salvatore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot my wife or sister.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShut up, I\u2019m thinking,\u201d she demanded as she continued what she was doing. \u201cShe called me Isa and gave me a blood bag to drink from because she said I was a vampire. But I hate blood. Yet, when I drank it, it tasted delicious, as if it was the best meal I\u2019ve had in a very long time. The way it caressed my tongue, the way it went down my throat, it was heavenly. Silky, smooth\u2026 coppery yummyness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t make us thirsty, darling,\u201d Kol swallowed hard as when she talked about blood going down her throat, she touched hers with her hand and it travelled down her torso and it looked hot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re thirsty?\u201d Bella scoffed as she kept walking around. \u201cI feel like I could devour an entire planet!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou do tend to get a little cranky when you\u2019re hungry,\u201d Damon piped up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ignoring Damon, she continued to follow her crazy train of thought. \u201cSo, if this is real, and I reacted to blood like that, then it\u2019s true, I\u2019m a vampire. And my name is Isa.\u201d She then turned around to face Kol. \u201cYour fianc\u00e9.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s correct.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo why don\u2019t I remember all of this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Cullens took you away from me and fiddled about with vervain and other types of herbs to make you forget, according to Freya—\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy sister.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe history teacher?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe went with Damon\u2019s last name in the hopes it sounded familiar to you and as not to raise any suspicion for the Cullens who went to class with you. It was your erratic behaviour that got us caught.\u201d Kol told her as he watched her closely. \u201cWe nearly got you out too, and it seems that they somehow have managed to bury your true memories even further.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy buddy Peter, who\u2019s also Jasper\u2019s buddy Peter, told me they had a Volturi and another powerfully gifted Cold One dig into your brains. Lock your true self away. The only way to get free of that, at this moment, is for you to remember on your own. Break through the walls they put up,\u201d Damon explained, surprised that things were going so well. They all had been afraid for a little Isa bomb-explosion. But maybe this was because she wasn\u2019t remembering who she was, simply recounting what she was told.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the other option?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWait until the herbs and vervain are completely out of your system and for one of us to go into your mind and pull you out,\u201d Kol replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs there another option?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, but it\u2019s not preferable and I don\u2019t want it to happen,\u201d he snapped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs it your choice, or mine?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s my head! My life! My memories! Why should you be the one deciding what\u2019s going to happen?\u201d Bella shot at him as she continued her pacing. \u201cThe Cullens already controlled every single part of my life, so if this is reality, if what everything we\u2019re discussing is real, then why would it be your choice?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t it obvious?\u201d Damon huffed and thumbed in Kol\u2019s direction. \u201cThe idiot feels guilt about what he\u2019s put you – Isa – through. The accidental turning, the events leading up to your death\u2026 Forgetting all about you, thinking you were dead for good, not raising you properly as a vampire\u2026 the works. And that\u2019s something because Kol Mikaelson doesn\u2019t do guilty. No, you know, he makes the last option his choice, because it\u2019ll be painful for you. Very painful. Like using a sledgehammer to butter your toast. Witches would have to use so much power and force to break that head of yours open, that you\u2019ll be in pain. And then it\u2019s not even sure how much of you is going to survive. So, that\u2019s why it\u2019s his choice. As much as I disagree, it\u2019s his choice, not yours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cScrew you both,\u201d she spat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlthough, I have to admit, I kinda like this version of you. It\u2019s spunky,\u201d Damon grinned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was quiet for a moment and shook her head. \u201cCarlisle said that everything I was experiencing were unwanted side effects of the car accident. Hallucinations. Paranoia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDarling, you weren\u2019t in a car accident. And if you were, you would have survived with not a scratch on you. You\u2019re a vampire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, you\u2019ve told me that and I remember the taste of blood. Carlisle said it could be a side effect, my brain playing tricks on me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGo ask your tree to send you something to eat,\u201d Kol told her with a small smile on his face. \u201cYou two spoke last night, do it again. Ask for food.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re being ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are you in the mood for? Can\u2019t ask for humans, but there\u2019s plenty of deer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, rabbits. Stefan likes the bunnies,\u201d Damon pointed out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo doubt you\u2019ve eaten bears and wolves before,\u201d Kol pointed to the tree. \u201cGo on, I dare you. Amaze yourself.\u201d He hoped that the tree would cooperate, that it saw that Isa wasn\u2019t in her right mind. He knew that she never asked them for anything, but for her to believe what was going on was real, the tree had to deliver. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It felt ridiculous to have to rely on a bloody tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou already think this is nuts, so be nuttier,\u201d Damon dared her. \u201cYou went from super angry to super sad when you snapped a tree in half in Forks. It was as if the world ended.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t feel his pain,\u201d she countered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAha! You do remember!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, as a part of my hallucination. But fine,\u201d she threw her hands in the air before walking to the tree and placed her hand against the trunk with a bored expression on her face as she looked at the men watching her with an eager look on their faces. \u201cNothing\u2019s happening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She had done it earlier, why didn\u2019t it work now? Was it because she was aggravated? She never had problems with her anger and those bloody trees. Kol was worried that the Cullens had ruined her for good, and if that was the case, he didn\u2019t want this to be her new life. \u201cI\u2019ll go and get you something to snack on,\u201d he muttered as he left the cabin. Elijah was the babysitter, Elijah was the one who could fix everything. Even Niklaus had more patience. He had promised better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His Isa was stuck. Stuck in believing what she had been told. They had only found her after two and a half months; the other two weeks were guesswork, anticipating the Cullen\u2019s next step, and he had been wanting to take her out of that house immediately. It was only because Freya told them that she\u2019d be damaged beyond repair that they hadn\u2019t done anything and now that she was here, going with the plan he had offered as the plan Freya and Nik had devised hadn\u2019t worked, he hated it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He dialled Nik on his phone. He needed to know his thoughts. He was probably going to suggest just to kill her, and that would be swell and all, but Kol really had feelings for Isa. Still had. He realized just how much when she was taken, it nearly ripped him apart and that had been a shock. But before his brother could answer, he hung up and headed back to the cabin. Short of killing her and leaving her to her own life, there was only one thing he could do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was simply going to keep snapping her neck until the herbs were completely out of her system. Then fix her. Bring her back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walking back into the cabin, ready to snap her neck – it was going to hurt him more than her, he stopped in his tracks when Bella had Damon in a vice-like grip and it looked painful. \u201cWell, this is interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA little help, please?\u201d Damon said with a strangled voice. Not only had Bella her arms around his neck, her legs were around his torso and they were on the floor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019s not supposed to be strong enough to subdue you yet, Damon, so whatever you did, you must have angered her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe was flirting with me!\u201d Bella cried out. \u201cAnd then he said was going to take me below! In the nether regions of this cabin for story time!\u201d She tightened her hold on him. \u201cI\u2019m not his for something like that!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol casually leaned against the tree stump with his arms crossed over each other. Just as he had lost hope, there was a glimmer of his little ray of sunshine. \u201cThat is naughty. Go on then, snap his neck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am trying, but he is stronger!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot for long, darling,\u201d he reached over and snapped Damon\u2019s neck, the vampire went limp in Bella\u2019s arms in an instant and she let go of him. \u201cWell done,\u201d he said appreciatively before removing the rug and pointed at the hole. \u201cWould you like to join me downstairs? There are some stories down there that I wish for you to see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d she got to her feet and dusted herself off. \u201cI\u2019m hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, you just killed the cook.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She looked around the cabin and sighed. \u201cVery well. Get us a chicken or a fish or whatever and I\u2019ll cook us something,\u201d she said as she walked to the little cupboard, revealing a large pot and some ingredients in there. \u201cI\u2019ll get the fire going.\u201d When she looked over her shoulder to look at him, she smirked. \u201cGo on, viking boy, do your job,\u201d she teased as she tossed some things in the pot and headed outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He refrained from kissing her senseless and quickly caught them some fish – chickens were too messy and there were large trouts in the river and was back just in time to see her come back with some water in a different pot and starting the fire. \u201cI\u2019ll get you a blood bag from Damon\u2019s house, if you want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s fine,\u201d she sighed as she leaned against a boulder and started to filet the fish. \u201cI\u2019m insufferable and moody and if I was at full strength, I would have killed him so\u2026 let\u2019s not do that until the real me surfaces.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo you believe the story then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEh,\u201d she said with a shrug. \u201cMy life was crazy as it was, entertaining this possibility could lead to sanity. Or not. And if not, then it\u2019s fine anyway.\u201d She reached for some kind of rack and placed it above the fire and placed the now gutted fish on them. She then placed the pot next to the fish on the coals and started to add water and other things she brought from the cabin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol had watched her eagerly, she cleaned the fish on vampire speed and he believed that she didn\u2019t even realise she was doing it, and as he watched her work, he could see his Isa. All those years ago, cooking him a meal. And she was doing it now, still the same way. He got out his phone and started to film her. \u201cDarling, I\u2019d like to make my brothers jealous, could you tell me what you\u2019re making for dinner?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She removed the rack from the fire and stirred the large pot. \u201cJealous? Why?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust entertain the idea of making them jealous. What are you making?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKornmj\u00f6lsgr\u00f6t with trout. It\u2019s the best I can do on short notice,\u201d it rolled off her tongue as if it was completely normal. She then looked up to Kol with a smile, as he was still filming. \u201cOr, we could have gone to the golden arches.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh no, I want this. Definitely this. The smell is absolutely amazing. It\u2019s so good, I can almost taste it without actually tasting it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She removed the skin from the fish and started to tear it apart before relaxing against her boulder and grinned. \u201cI think I know some Scandinavian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, you do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKornmj\u00f6lsgr\u00f6t. Grain flour meal. Porridge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you call it Fish Porridge, it doesn\u2019t sound too good,\u201d he sent the video to his family and waited in glee. There was no doubt that they\u2019d want a taste of this and it took a while to get from New Orleans to Mystic Falls. By the time they\u2019d arrive, it would all be long gone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not authentic, I had to substitute stuff because a thousand years is a long time, but I have my own little garden not far from here where there\u2019s some herbs and whatnot,\u201d she said as she watched Kol and realized what she had said and what she was doing. \u201cFuck me, it\u2019s real, isn\u2019t it? I\u2019m not 18, I\u2019m a thousand year old vampire! And I was kidnapped!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes,\u201d he replied with a nod and then smirked when he saw the reactions of his siblings. \u201cNiklaus says to save him some of the food when we\u2019re done,\u201d he started typing. \u201cI just replied \u2018not a chance\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs he coming? Because if so, we need more fish.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, he\u2019s not,\u201d Kol snickered. \u201cElijah\u2019s envious and wishes that there were more people around who could cook like they used to in our time as humans because even though times changed, he still longs for— oh bugger, he\u2019s being far too elaborate again. Boring. Rebekah wants you to feed as you look terrible. That\u2019s not nice, I think you look pretty, no matter how you look.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to drink blood, Kol. Not until I know what I\u2019m doing. Not until I understand what I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know, darling, and that\u2019s fine. A drop or two would keep you from desiccating, no need for more just yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen will Damon wake up?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn a while,\u201d Kol sat down next to her and watched the fire. \u201cDon\u2019t feel guilty about me snapping his neck. I like doing it. In fact, I might do it again if he wakes up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnly when he\u2019s being obnoxious.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He huffed as a response. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t have an off-switch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o.O.o~ <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mystic Falls, June 15th 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He hadn\u2019t been able to resist to snap her<\/em> neck a few times over the course of the previous day. Mainly because she was – as she had stated earlier – quite moody and testing his patience. But when he didn\u2019t snap her neck, she was usually not-Bella<\/em> but not Isa either. Yet, he didn\u2019t mind her company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was surprised when he woke up, that she had joined him on the concrete slab of stone he\u2019d been sleeping on for the last few days and had tucked herself underneath his arm. And now he didn\u2019t dare to move. She was so soundly asleep and the smell of her soothed him so much, that he didn\u2019t want to burst his own bubble when he had to deal with his not-fianc\u00e9. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He had nudged her mind a little, mostly because he was afraid that he wasn\u2019t going to do it properly. Despite being centuries old, he didn\u2019t have the experience his brothers had. Granted, he spent almost 500 years travelling the earth, but he never had to do something like this before. And he was afraid that he was going to harm her. He had nudged her mind, simply to see if the herbs had worn off and the vervain out of her system and much to his relief, there wasn\u2019t a trace left. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now all he needed was to bring her home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And maybe that was best while she was still asleep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He cursed himself as he shifted, just a little, and tucked her hair behind her ear before placing his hand on the side of her head. They were already in full bodily contact and he liked it that way. It meant a stronger connection, a bigger pull. Almost like gravity. Relaxing himself, shaking off his anxiety, he allowed himself to be sucked into her head and found it clean. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Niklaus had said that it could be messy. That it was going to be hard to find Isa in the whirling thoughts inside her head, but it was absolutely clean. There were boxes everywhere, taped shut. Doors leading to wherever and it felt a little overwhelming. And underwhelming. Was this it? Was he going to have to look through every box, behind every door, to find her? How disappointing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not supposed to be here,\u201d Bella emerged from the shadows. Or was it someone else? Freya had warned him about some sort of security measure against intrusions and that in Isa\u2019s mind, they would be equals. He wouldn\u2019t be able to rely on his vampire strength, only his strength of will and he was determined to get her back. The spell, however, would be determined to keep everything behind lock and key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know I\u2019m not,\u201d he replied as he headed for the boxes and started to look at the labels. \u201cBut I\u2019m here anyway.\u201d The boxes were pieces of Bella that Isa had already shred over the last few days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s trash day, they\u2019ll be collected later,\u201d she said as she pointed at the boxes. \u201cYou need to get out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot until I found what I came for,\u201d he said and as he walked towards the doors, they seemed to be further and further away. Angrily, he turned around to face her. \u201cYou need to stop that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOr else?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll use brute force.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella, Isa, whoever it was, snorted. \u201cAs if, you\u2019re too concerned in trying not to harm your beloved Isa. What did you want to do? Compel her? How? She\u2019s not here. There\u2019s nothing here. Have a witch use a sledgehammer and break down every door? Risking Isa\u2019s mind?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf I have to.\u201d Kol turned around again and continued to march to the doors, who yet again started to move away from him. \u201cBut I\u2019m hoping it won\u2019t come to that.\u201d He continued to walk for what seemed hours, the girl behind him calling him things such as stupid, incredulous, weak, pathetic, and he ignored it all. In fact, it only made him more determined to find his Isa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy do you care?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause she\u2019s my responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot good enough. Tell me why you want Isa back so much and I might consider you taking her, because sooner or later, she\u2019ll find her way back anyway and I won\u2019t be able to stop it. So, try again. Why do you care?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stopped and faced her again. \u201cBecause she\u2019s my responsibility. I made her the way she is. It\u2019s my fault and I need to make things right. I\u2019ve left her alone for long enough, and I am not going to do it again. The months that we were parted, hurt, and I do not wish that feeling upon anybody. She\u2019s been on her own for over a thousand years, waiting, for me. I don\u2019t deserve her, I know I don\u2019t. Getting her out of her own mind is the least that I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She thought for a moment and shook her head. \u201cNo, still not good enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do you want to hear?\u201d He almost yelled at the image. \u201cThat I need her? Because I do, and not for pure selfish reasons like as long as she\u2019s still around that my brother won\u2019t lock me away again. No, I need her. She makes me a better person. Balances me out. Makes me see the world differently and shows me that not everything has to be so bloody complicated. Asking her to marry me was the scariest thing I\u2019ve ever done, and I nearly died. Me and my gorgeous face. But you know what? She\u2019s more gorgeous, she\u2019s beautiful inside and out, even when she talks to her trees. To nature. I love her, of course I want to save her. I would be a prick if I didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou still sound like a selfish brat to me, you Originals are all the same. Me, me, me. Sure, you care for people. You try to help them, but to what end? Only to better yourself. Tell me why you care so much for her survival. Bella\u2019s the better template, isn\u2019t she? More whole.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBella\u2019s broken thanks to whatever they\u2019ve done to Isa. Bella isn\u2019t a real person. Isa is. All her memories, all her experiences, they\u2019re worth something. They\u2019re real. I come to retrieve Isa because she doesn\u2019t deserve this. Not at all. She\u2019s the sweetest, kindest person on this Earth and I\u2019ll be damned if I don\u2019t do what\u2019s right in getting her back. So, hand her over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The image shrugged. \u201cVery well. You want to know why the Cullens took her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, please.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a war going on between the Original sire lines. The Volturi wanted to see if they could mess with the war by inserting a trojan horse that would cause a guaranteed destruction of all vampires created by an Original. Global domination and all that. But they failed. Isa\u2019s too strong-willed and Bella was indeed, only a template. It\u2019s uncertain if they\u2019ll try again. Perhaps they\u2019ll get physically involved. Be wary. Don\u2019t trust anything, question everything when it comes to this war. Isa is one of a kind. Take care of her, her gift might be your salvation,\u201d the image shuddered and winked out before all the doors opened and he was enveloped by every memory, every thought, his Isa had had, and he could now understand the mess that Niklaus had described.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol quickly exited her mind and smiled proudly at himself. He had done it. He had released his Isa. He wasn\u2019t quite sure if he had to believe all that nonsense about a war between the sire lines, but then again, there were certain lines of his siblings line that were just as conniving as the three of them were. If there was a war going on, Nik, Elijah and Rebekah had to brace themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, he was so lucky that he only had Isa to worry about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapter 03 Forks.  June 4th, 2013 \u201cRise and shine, Bella!\u201d  \u201cUgh,\u201d Bella resisted the urge to throw a pillow at her friend\u2019s head. Her sunny disposition always were a pain in the ass and just because she was staying at their house, didn\u2019t mean that she had to be awakened…<\/p>\n

Continue reading<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":277,"parent":276,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-291","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nChapter 03 - MeekoBuggy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chapter 03 - MeekoBuggy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Chapter 03 Forks.  June 4th, 2013 \u201cRise and shine, Bella!\u201d  \u201cUgh,\u201d Bella resisted the urge to throw a pillow at her friend\u2019s head. 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